


Look, what I mean to say is...

by millygal



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-20
Updated: 2013-09-20
Packaged: 2017-12-27 03:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/973752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/millygal/pseuds/millygal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where in the Doctor does <i>not</i> tell Rose he loves her..</p>
            </blockquote>





	Look, what I mean to say is...

Rose watched the Doctor.

She'd been watching him for nigh on an hour now. Leaning back against a not very comfortable chair in front of a single monitor.

At first she'd not even realised where she was. Having gone on a wander to get away from the Doctor's slamming and banging about under the console. He'd suddenly announced that the TARDIS needed some 'fixing up' which usually meant him thwacking things with a hammer until he got a zap of indignant electricity from his much put upon time machine. He'd then spent half an hour swearing in what she assumed was Gallifreyan. The TARDIS had refused to even contemplate translating any of the profanities. Apparently they were too strong even for her none too delicate disposition, simply plopping the words 'Gosh darn it' and 'Whoops-a-daisy' into her head instead.

Grabbing a quick cup of tea and heading off in the general direction of her room she'd been so busy trying to figure out exactly what he'd been saying she hadn't noticed the path on which her feet had taken her. Coming to an abrupt halt outside a door she'd never seen before.

Stepping into the new room she'd been greeted by the sight of a very dusty slightly musty smelling set of chairs and bank of instruments.

After looking around for ten minutes or so she'd started to recognize the crude implements of a control panel. Familiar in that unfamiliar sort of way. The instruments made no more sense to her here than they did in the other control room. Excepting the fact that they were still tacked together with bits of what appeared to be double sided sticky tape.

This control room, just like the first had a somewhat lived in feel to it. Nothing shiny and new here. She'd found herself automatically stroking the TARDIS's panelling in way of a silent apology for the slight on her design. She really hadn't wanted to offend the old girl, not after the last time when she'd merely mentioned in passing that the hot water in her bathroom could be a little more, well..hot. She'd ended up with nothing but icy cold showers for the next full month.

In retrospect she should have figured that there would be some kind of back up incase of emergency. After all, this was the TARDIS. There wasn't a single thing she did have a contingency plan for. Rose could even recall seeing a butterfly net and some bailing twine stacked neatly in one of the supply cupboards. She was a veritable 'Swiss Army' time machine.

The mental image of an umbrella and corkscrew popping out the top of the TARDIS made her snort and almost spill her tea.

Suddenly everything had come to life, lights had flashed and blinked at her, a buzzing noise had filled her ears and an insistent beeping could be heard somewhere off to her right.

Rose'd thought the commotion was a random welcome from the ship to start with. Until her eyes had drifted to a monitor plonked haphazardly atop the console. Walking forward and flicking it on she'd been greeted with the sight of a very confused looking alien mouthing something to himself. She'd been about to laugh until the sound had crackled into life around her and his slightly hesitant voice filled the air.

"Look, what I mean to say is..No that isn't it. Okay start again shall we? Rose, I've been meaning to say, to tell you that... Nope that's not it either. Bloody hell how hard can it be! Just say it man. She's not even in the sodding room with you. Three little words, come on you've faced Ghengis fucking Kahn for Rassilon's sake and you're afraid of telling one silly little human girl that you love her!"

"Rude git."

She'd give him silly little human girl.

"Wait, did he just say?...oh. OH."

Realization had hit and a slightly predatory and quite smug smile had spread itself upon her lips. Finally. She'd patted one of the levers in front of her and said "Thank you" and then settled back into one of the chairs.

That'd been a little over an hour ago now and she wasn't sure she wouldn't find track marks in the floor where he'd spent that hour pacing back and fourth back and fourth back and bloody fourth until he'd made her head swim with it.

Every so often a snippet of Gallifreyan text would glide across the bottom of the screen catching her attention and then the Doctor would ruffle his already too messy hair and she'd find herself transfixed once more.

She thought about going to him and putting him out of his misery, saving him the agony of doubt and indecision but he needed to do this. That was just he way the Doctor worked. If she went and told him she'd seen and heard him then he would assume she was either taking pity or the piss.

Perhaps he deserved a little agony anyway. He'd been confusing the hell out of her for a good year or so, maybe it was his turn for a change. Part of her felt sorry for him, seen as she knew exactly how he felt. Not knowing if his feelings were returned and never quite finding the opportune moment to bring it up. Always just about to say something and then bottling it at the last minute.

Yes, she knew exactly how he felt.

The other part of her knew if he didn't work himself round to this, if he didn't pluck up the courage on his own then it would fail before it even began. Whatever they had, whatever they felt for each other he still needed to take charge and be the one to make the first move. That was the kind of man he was, no second chances and no half hearted attempts.

Instead of getting up and going to him like she so wanted to, she snuggled further down into the cushions and waited for her own opportune moment. She didn't need to worry now, after all the TARDIS had made sure of that. She knew he'd eventually tell her what she wanted to hear.

Rose fell into a contented slumber with the welcome sound of the last Time Lord telling thin air...

"Rose Tyler, you're fantastic. I've wanted to tell you this for so long. I love you"

"Love you too Doctor"


End file.
